23 Fusion
by Hardwing
Summary: Things settle down after the latest uproar, with Delilah getting offered the promised training lessons and Lana facing her last dates. Meanwhile Darlene is trying warm the clan for magic as Demona is casting it for her own goals.


_**I just want to thank the creators of DARK AGES for creating such a great background, and Storyseeker for correcting my fics and helping me with great ideas and for the characters of his ficverse.**_

"She needs someone to train her again," she went straight for the attack, touching her belly. "Since I can't, I hoped you would."

" **Train her?!** " Deborah snarled, irritated. "If it were up to me she wouldn't be allowed to come even near here ever again!"

"We should do it," Hudson was the first to begin.

"Because of what the lass said?" his mate asked. "I've seen hatchlings do better tricks to make me do their little wishes."

"True," the one-eyed Gargoyle said. "But she isn't wrong of the lass not being at fault... Even the leader once acted under enchantment, as did I."

Deborah thought about it a moment longer.

"I shall do it," she replied finally. "At least **I** am a better teacher than **her**."

"Keep him," he said angrily. "But you are not welcome at the castle anymore!"

Demona didn't respond, but glared angrily at him, Javin and at the rest of his group who had just walked in.

"I hope I am," Darlene said, her voice but a whisper. "For as long as Roland is here, I will be moving out with my children."

 **20.09.98; 19:29;**

 **Destine Mansion, Living Room:**

Roland awoke with a roar, instantly feeling his stomach roaring with him. A look to his side showed him that Delilah had awoken with him, and he quickly checked his lip at the place the rat had bitten him, finding nothing as the stone-sleep had easily cured this.

"I can make us something to eat," Delilah said.

As Roland nodded, she walked to the kitchen and began searching the freezer.

"Do you like bread?" the hybrid asked.

"Sure."

Surprised, Delilah looked up and found Roland standing next to her, watching her in interest.

"We have a lot of food here," the hybrid said, finding herself blushing a bit and wondering why.

"You said there were others here?" the young Gargoyle remembered.

"Sister Darlene and her hatchlings," Delilah replied, her tone becoming increasingly sad. "Went because Demona brought you here, and didn't want to hand you over to Goliath."

Roland stared at her.

"Because she wanted to question me," he noticed, angry. "Use me!"

"She said she didn't want them to give you to the humans," Delilah revealed, taking a package of frozen bread from the freezing compartment and adding, not really convinced, "She says humans are evil."

Roland laughed.

"My dear sister thinks so?"

Delilah nodded.

"Well, then let me tell you some things my sister surely has neglected to tell you," he offered. "For certain, my rookery sister missed out how cruel our own kind can be..."

0000000000

 **20.09.98; 19:33;**

 **Castle Wyvern; Rookery:**

The rookery was filled with chattering rookery-mothers giving the hatchlings their breakfast.

"New night of service," Lana commented with a yawn. "What wonderful chores shall we willing slaves perform now?"

Ruth barely managed to hold back a giggle, and Angela smiled.

"You and your friend will help the rest by setting up the main hall for breakfast and don't forget your special meal with our young warrior." the yellow-skinned rookery mother with one breast ordered, while nursing a content Jaheira. She watched the young Gargesses disappear before turning to Angela. "And you, smiling lass, will get a broom and clean the room."

"Yes, elder," she replied softly and left.

"The lass improves at last," the older yellow one noticed, turning to the other rookery mothers. "But I fear she and our other daughter gets too influenced by each other."

"At least she's living here," Fuchsia commented, rocking a hatchling in her arms. "She seems to have problems living in a clan."

"A Gargoyle having trouble living in a clan," Aerie commented, likewise nursing a green-skinned hatchling without hair. "Can you even believe such?"

"Our sister's fault, of course," Fuchsia noticed. "We should be grateful she drove Darlene away."

"And that she kept our rogue brother," another added, earning general agreement. "I could almost like her for that."

"I remember how he was after he hatched," the older yellow one said in a calm and almost regretful tone. "We had to fight hard to make him survive, and were so very happy when he did."

The others remained silent for a moment.

Darlene stepped in, a toddling Gem following her tail.

"I'm sorry, but I want to meet my sister once she arrives," she explained. "Could you take care of Gem for a while?"

"Of course," a hairless Gargess said, kneeling down. "Do ye want to stay here, little one, and play with the blocks?"

Gem chirped and ran to the other Gargess on all fours.

"I will come later and take her to breakfast," Darlene said with a smile.

0000000000

 **20.09.98; 19:55; Destine Mansion:**

Demona walked down the steps to her living room, Shade ahead of her.

Finding Roland and Delilah sitting at the table, she filled a bowl for her friend and then sat down.

"Silence?" the immortal asked, noticing the hybrid's downtrodden look and her brother's grim smile. "What is it about?"

"I just told her how you and the rest of our rookery treated me when we were young," Roland explained icily.

"So..." Demona replied sarcastically, making herself some cereal while watching Delilah who seemed unable to meet her face. "It seems he has told you what very bad hatchlings we were back then."

"He said you drove him out," Delilah revealed. "When he was young."

"Pah, we were young, too," Demona said, staring at her brother. "He ran away because he didn't want to face the punishment for mistreating a dog."

"I ran away because every one of you spat on me!"

"Spat on you? Spat _back_ on you!"

"You laughed at me every opportunity!"

"Because you shared bread with me you had stolen first, then lied to the elders so I got sent to the rookery."

"You tackled me and pressed me in the dirt!"

"You pulled my hair and tried to **sell my tiara**!"

Delilah watched with sudden interest the arguing between the two adult Gargoyles, each telling something she could not quite imagine them doing. Was being a hatchling really so different?

"Is this the reason you said nothing at my remembrance ceremony?" Roland asked. "You or any of my dear siblings?"

"Tell me one fond thing we shared and I will excuse myself!" Demona offered generously.

Her brother remained silent, glaring at her.

"See," the immortal said, directed to Delilah. "He doesn't know one thing at all himself, but is accusing us of not appreciating him."

"You said a rookery should hold together," the hybrid threw in, a bit perplexed, as the situation had become more complicated than she had first guessed.

"Yes," Demona admitted reluctantly, turning to her brother. "It should, and we should have taken better care of each other. But we were young, and we didn't know any better."

"This is no excuse!" Roland replied angrily.

"I didn't excuse!" his sister snapped. "I say it as it was. And if you hadn't hung out with that human boy so much, you would have hardly gotten into so much trouble then."

"Oliver was the only friend I had."

"Maybe you would have had more if you hadn't always picked on someone who couldn't defend themselves."

"Only because you did so first on me."

"And are hatchlings' teasings a reason for selling your clan out to some thieves?"

"They took me in and accepted me," Roland replied, eager to defend his long dead comrades. "Something my siblings never did."

Shade rose from her meal, whining unnoticed.

"They corrupted you," Demona said, annoyed. "Betraying your clan, stealing, harming your siblings..."

"Something you never did?!" the ugly Gargoyle commented, having gotten a brief history of his sister from Lucifia.

"I did so for my clan and all Gargoyles in the world!" the immortal snarled rather self-righteously. "This is something completely different!"

" _No, it is exactly the same!"_

Surprised, the siblings and Delilah turned their heads to see Deborah and her mate entering.

"Even worse in many aspects," the blonde Gargess noticed.

"What are you doing here?" Demona asked, her eyes fixing on her former teacher. "If my former mate wants to brag about how he solved this stupid thing with the police, he..."

"We are here to take her to training," Deborah stopped her former pupil, looking at Delilah. "If she still wishes so."

Delilah gave her 'mother' a short questioning look, and the immortal sighed.

"Go." she said sarcastically. "My former teacher knows a lot about fighting skills...though regrettably not much more."

Deborah was about to raise her left claw to when her mate laid a claw on her shoulder.

"It will probably be about six hours," Hudson explained calmly.

Demona just nodded, continuing her breakfast and ignoring the two Gargoyles, as the two of her siblings who had decided to stay outside.

"Could he come, too?" Delilah asked innocently.

" **NO!** " Roland and Deborah both said in union, and eyed each other in disgust for a moment.

"I see no reason to go where I'm not welcome," the young Gargoyle told the hybrid who had risen.

"You are not welcome there!" his rookery mother replied, and looking to her daughter she added. "No one here, except Delilah, is."

"Pah!" Demona commented, continuing her meal.

"Until later," Delilah said insecurely goodbye.

"I will be here when you come back," Roland said on her unspoken question, adding in the directions of his parents. "I know how to be there for someone."

Delilah gave Roland and her mother one last look, and then left with the others.

0000000000

 **20.09.98; 20:05;**

 **Castle Wyvern; Lana's room:**

"Don't tell me it is..." Eve began unbelieving.

Jarred nodded and pulled out a small ancient-looking book.

"Grandmother told me I could use it to practice," the half-Gargoyle hatchling said with a slight grin. Having to leave his grandmother still hurt, but at least he could continue her lessons. "There are a few harmless spells in here, and some alchemy recipes.

"We haven't practiced magic in ages." Eve commented.

"Since we are here," Connor added, his eyes shimmering in excitement over his beak.

"Can you summon a creature to do our chores?" Jane, who now preferred the name April, asked.

Jarred shook his head unhappily.

"It looks rather like one for illusions." Connor commented.

"Yeah," Darlene's son said in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Demona's biological son just shrugged his shoulders.

"Which illusions?" Eve asked, interested.

"Don't know," Jarred noticed, looking through the book. "Creating mirrors, sunrise, human illusions."

"Do it!"

Surprised, Jarred looked up at Eve whose eyes gleamed eagerly.

"Demona never wanted her to do this," Connor explained.

"Maybe then we shouldn't..." Jarred began.

"The elders say we shouldn't listen to anything she told us," Eve argued.

"You will be in so much trouble if she finds out," April commented.

"No one will ever find out." Eve said with a dangerous smile.

Connor looked unsure and Jane a bit timid, but Jarred nodded, opening the book.

"Okay, we have to both stand," he said, and both hatchlings did so. " _Illusions and mists give… Illusions and mists give this being the human shape._ "

Nothing happened, and Connor shook his head.

"You must raise your hand like this, see?" the brown-grey skinned hatchling said, posing with his left claw extended in the direction of his sister. "And pronounce the shape more. Imagining the shape you wish also helps."

Jarred nodded.

" _Illusions and mists give this being the human shape!"_ the hatchling repeated, raising his claw as his friend had showed him and felt a mist coming from it, changing the form instantly.

Within three seconds, there was no longer a hatchling but a human girl of around ten years standing there. Still in her loincloth, her white hair giving her a slightly unearthly look, she nevertheless would have fooled anyone.

"Well?" Eve asked, noticing how breathless her siblings were.

"Look in the mirror," Jarred told her, pointing at the mirror in the corner of the room.

As the hatchling did so, she let out a short shout of surprise and grinned broadly, her blue eyes sparkling.

"So weird," April noticed.

"So coooool!" Eve exclaimed, turning on the spot and watching her human-self in the mirror doing the same on little toes instead of claws.

Suddenly, the door opened.

"What is this talk..." a voice exclaimed, stopping instantly.

Out of survival instinct, Jarred dropped the book and kicked it under the bed.

The limping drillmaster was standing in the now opened door, looking at her human-turned daughter in complete surprise.

"It…" Eve began. "It's just an illusion-spell."

To prove this she extended her wings, instantly breaking the illusion.

"You come with me…" the elder snarled, " **Now!** "

With this, the four unhappy hatchlings found themselves being led out of the room.

0000000000

 **20.09.98; 20:07; Castle Wyvern:**

They had just reached the Eyrie when Deborah glided closer to Ajax, who had come along with Emilia with them. Curious, Delilah noticed how the younger Gargoyle nodded and began gliding in front of her.

"We will start the training here, with you showing me how well you can glide," Deborah explained, gliding to the hybrid's side. "Follow him and imitate his movements exactly."

Delilah nodded, nearly missing that the crested Gargoyle had already started, and hurried to follow him. The hybrid found herself having a hard time when following the loops, directions and rapid changes in heights.

When Ajax dove down, close to the castle, only to rise with great speed and land graciously on one of the battlements, Delilah did her best but was unable to achieve his precision in holding the position to the building's wall. The hybrid lost speed and was forced to climb up the last third of the wall, reaching the top breathless, only to find Deborah waiting on the top of a battlement.

"Your movements were too slow, your precision not worth mentioning. Your wing angle sloppy, the speed of your turns a catastrophe, and you don't know how to use your tail to tame the wind," the green-skinned Gargess noted, eyeing the hybrid in a way which made her feel very uncomfortable. "I'd say you have the gliding skill of a hatchling, but this would be an offence against them."

"But..." Delilah tried to defend herself, but found the older Gargess thrusting her face straight into her own, making her take a step back.

"Take position when I talk to you!"

The hybrid did so, noticing some younger males on guarding duty whispering amongst themselves, as they watched, clearly amused.

"Look at me when you talk and nothing else!" Deborah ordered. "A warrior needs to be able to concentrate."

Delilah nodded and looked at the Gargess, as hard as it was.

"What were you going to say?"

"Gliding wasn't a large part of my programming," the hybrid tried to explain. "And because I lived underground, I could hardly practice."

Deborah looked at the young Gargoyle for a moment, sharing a short look with her mate who stood some distance away.

"We will practice it every time we come to take you," the blue-green skinned Gargess promised.

Delilah nodded.

"Sister!"

Surprised, the hybrid looked around, noticing a smiling Darlene approaching.

"Sister," she replied with a smaller smile.

"I'm so glad..." the pregnant Gargess began.

"Be glad later," Deborah said icily, stepping between the two sisters. "The battle doesn't stop just because you discover a friend, and neither does training."

Darlene was clearly disappointed, but she accepted the older Gargess's wisdom.

"Of course," she said before turning to Delilah. "I will meet you later."

Delilah nodded before quickly following her teacher inside.

"It's better this way," Hudson said, having watched from aside. "Let them get warm to each other first."

"Sure," Darlene agreed with a sigh. "I had just hoped to mend some broken fences tonight."

"Ye will have time for this later," the older Gargoyle said, laying a claw on her shoulder.

Darlene nodded.

0000000000

 **In the Great Hall:**

The four hatchlings felt that the night could only get worse when they were led in front of their leader and the part of the clan having already gathered in the Great Hall.

"I found these young ones dabbling with magic!" the limping elder said, irritated.

They found Goliath's eyes resting on them.

"Explain."

"I just did an illusion-spell," Jarred said defiantly.

"I asked him to do it," Eve admitted, finding it hard to meet her leader's look.

"I helped him," Connor added.

Silence.

"I found it pretty," April commented quietly, twirling a lock of her long hair.

"See!" the limping elder said.

"Mhh," Goliath began with an unhappy droning. "You know how dangerous it is playing with mystical forces."

"It was just an illusion-spell," Jarred said again, believing Goliath had not understood him.

"All magic can be dangerous, and is not to be played with," the leader of the clan told him. "One week of extra duties for all of you."

"But..." Jarred began.

"And tonight you will spend it in the rookery."

The half-Gargoyle began to open his mouth, but Connor laid a claw on his shoulder, shaking his head.

Muttering angrily, Jarred gave up and followed his fellow hatchlings out of the Great Hall.

"What happened?" Darlene asked, coming in soon enough to notice her son leaving.

"Jarred and his friends got one week of extra duties and one night rookery for doing magic," the eldest's apprentice said.

"What?!"

Surprised, Darlene turned to Goliath.

"Why didn't you speak with me first?"

"Their deed was clear, as was their punishment," Goliath explained, slightly surprised by her words. "Why should I have called you?"

Darlene stared at him, unbelieving.

"Because I'm his mother and have a say on when and if he is to be punished."

"I'm his leader and have the right to order his punishment," the large Gargoyle replied, meeting the Gargess' eyes unimpressed. "I can't give him any special treatment."

"I don't want to..." Darlene began, but stopped, knowing she had to relax. "Look, what magic did they do?"

"He made his sister look like a human," the limping teacher explained.

"That is hardly dangerous," the pregnant Gargess noted.

"Where does it end though?" the elder replied. "In summoning vile beasts or turning other hatchlings into stone?"

"Magic can do wonderful things," Darlene said, feeling the need to defend herself. "I'm trained in magic and know this very well."

"Trained by _her_!" the limping elder spat out. "She is the best example of why not to use it."

"I see no harm in letting him know how to use it, as much as I don't have anything against him knowing how to use a sword," Darlene pointed out.

"And we don't let our hatchlings 'play' with sharp weapons," Emilia jumped in.

"It can be used as a weapon or tool like everything else."

"As long as he lives here, he has to follow the rules of the clan like every other hatchling," the limping elder noted. "And this clan needs no magic."

Darlene was about to turn to Goliath, to appeal to his senses when...

"Goliath, Xanatos needs to speak to you," Owen Burnett said, stepping out from one of the doors.

"We will talk later," the leader excused himself. "For now, the punishment stands."

With this he left, leaving behind a brooding Darlene.

 **20.09.98; 20:21; Destine Mansion:**

Demona sat at the table, bending over the book she was reading, in the room at the highest level of her mansion.

"Tell me what you're planning," her brother demanded from the shadows. "I know you are not just lying down."

The immortal threw an icy and completely unsurprised look at him.

"No."

"Why?" the skinny Gargoyle asked, stepping closer to his sister. "I want her to pay, too. And the sooner she is dead, the sooner Delilah and I will leave."

Demona chuckled.

"What?" Roland asked, irritated.

"You're a fool! She..."

The immortal stopped, suddenly listening intensively, smelling even.

"What...?"

Demona didn't even try to answer her brother's question, but stormed away, leaving him to follow.

Once she had jumped, more than climbed, some stairs leading to the roof, Demona broke through the door leading to the top, and faced the man who stood beside his hover-glider.

"Demona, I..." Macbeth began, but was stopped by the Gargess storming into him, and tumbling them both over the edge of the roof, leaving an arriving Roland to watch in total surprise, just to be pushed out of the way by Shade joining the scene, rushing to the edge of the roof.

Macbeth had a hard time holding himself on the roof with Demona hanging on to him.

"How mad are you, you old hag?" the old Scot clinched under his teeth.

Struggling, he managed to land a good kick at the Gargess' breast, making her loose her hold and, unfortunately, him nearly as well.

His feet getting hold, the immortal climbed on the roof, while Demona landed securely on the ground.

"And you are?" Macbeth asked, noticing Roland, as he stood up.

"Just watching."

Macbeth looked surprised, carefully watching Shade who growled at him and looking at the roof where Demona climbed up.

"Ye wanna die?" he asked angrily.

"If this means I'll never see you again!"

"You can do this easier," Macbeth offered, pulling an envelope out of his jacket.

As the red-haired Gargess made no move to come nearer, the white-haired man threw the letter at her, but it was caught in midair by Shade who brought it to her friend. Carefully, Demona opened the envelope with her claws and read it.

"All of it?" she asked distrustfully.

"Yes, ye vampire," Macbeth said, pulling a ballpoint. "Sign it and we are free of this... _bond_ at last."

A second of silence passed.

"No."

"What?!"

"You're hiding something."

"Paranoid old bat!" Macbeth shouted angrily. "This is none of your business!"

"Fine," Demona said, throwing the envelope away and walking to the exit.

"Her name is Mary."

She stopped.

"Another romance, Mon Cherie?" the immortal asked in her sweetest Dominique voice.

"She is a 10 year old orphan," Macbeth said, trying hard to stay calm. "I know her through her parents who died in a car accident... Demona, she is dying of cancer, and to spend her last weeks with me I need this divorce for this witch of social worker."

The immortal studied him closely.

"I know you love your children, how you love to have Darlene and her children around you," he said. "If there is a spark of goodness in you, please allow me to make this little girl's last few weeks good ones."

Demona said nothing, but went inside with Shade following her. Roland gave the immortal a sceptic look before following his sister.

"Who was that?!" he asked.

"Someone who betrayed me," his sister replied icily, her eyes lighting up red.

"But you mated with him?"

"Only married," she said without stopping. "To get his money."

"Won't you get it if you give in?"

His sister stopped, practically throwing her face into his, eyes flaming.

" **None of your business!** "

With this, she walked down the stairs, but Roland was not about to give in.

"Lucifia told me you couldn't die unless you killed each other!" he revealed. "Why did you attack him?"

Demona stopped at the end of the stairs. "Because if **I** manage to kill **him** , I win!"

With this she walked away, leaving Roland to realize he was living with a lunatic.

 **20.09.98; 20:43; Castle Wyvern:**

Darlene found her pulse racing, as she went down to the rookery, and forced herself to relax when she met the rookery-mothers on their way to the Great Hall, holding the hatchlings in their arms.

"Are Jarred and the others in the rookery?"

The other females nodded on her question.

"It's good they were discovered," Arnadela commented. "We really don't need to worry about any magic done here, too."

Darlene had to force herself not to reply something nasty, when she noticed Gem being held in the arms of Aerie who was also holding a jar of nearly empty babyfood. Gem was trying to get the rest of the food out with her little claws.

"I thought I told you I didn't want Gem to get fed before the breakfast!"

"The lass was hungry, and fussed when she saw her siblings being fed," the elder yellow-skinned rookery mother (of course) replied, holding Jaheira in her arms and meeting the eyes of the other female calmly.

"She needs to learn to take meals with the clan," Darlene replied, taking Gem from Aerie's arms.

"Still too early for that. Let her have meals with her siblings, as a Gargoyle should."

Darlene took a deep breath, rocking her youngest daughter who tried to offer her the jar.

"Gem is more than one year older than the others," she tried to explain. "She has to be treated another way."

"One rookery, one rule," the yellow-skinned elder replied. "We don't play favourite."

Darlene gave up.

"I have no nerve for this now. Since she has eaten already, I think she can stay in the rookery with the others during breakfast."

"You wanna leave her with hatchlings?" Arnadela asked, mildly shocked.

"Being fed she will want to play anyway," Darlene stated, slightly irritated, and on the looks the others gave her she sighed.

"No arguments now, please. Jarred has done so before and I know what is good for her."

With this, she left with Gem in her arms.

 **20.09.98; 20:49; Castle Wyvern, Training room:**

Deborah watched Delilah showing off her skills with various weapons.

"Need to be improved on all of them," she stated, putting away the mace. "Do you have any preferences?"

"I was programmed to use various guns," Delilah said. "My eye to hand coordination is set on it."

"I don't train in anything but bow or crossbow," Deborah replied, mustering her pupil. "And I will only train close combat at first. So what is your favourite weapon?"

"A Katana."

"What is that?"

"A Japanese sword," the hybrid explained. "Demona said so."

"We don't have such here!" Deborah said, trying hard not to glare. "You will take the normal version, but first... why do you do this?"

The younger Gargoyle looked perplexed. "I want to learn to fight."

The older Gargoyle washed this away. "This is nae reason. Give me something better or I'll not train you."

Delilah bit her lip in sudden panic. "To kill Thailog...Lucifia..."

Deborah crossed her arms, her eyes showing deep disapproval. "I see no reason to continue this..."

"My clan!"

Delilah's cry made the older Gargoyle stop.

"Go on."

"They are dead...gone, and I..." the hybrid stuttered, tears spilling in her eyes. "I must get stronger, better to...to stop it..."

Deborah studied the desperate looking Gargess.

"I will train you, and maybe you will know in the end what you are fighting for."

 **20.09.98; 20:43;** **Castle Wyvern, Near Private Quarters:**

Lana and Ruth placed the bucket and the broom in the wall closet.

"I wonder if Xanatos could use his steel clan robots to sweep the floors."

Eve nodded.

" _Good work is important for the development of your character."_

Looking around, both young Gargoyles discovered Agamemnon's mate watching them sharply.

"The lad is ready," she explained. "I hope you take it seriously."

Lana nodded, watching the elder go, while whispering under her claw. "Old panderer."

The half-Gargoyle then looked around to see Ruth seemingly reluctant, as if she was fighting with herself to say something.

"Could you come with me?"

Her friend nodded, her red hair whipping slightly.

They walked down the floor, passing various hungry Gargoyles of all ages on their way to the Great Hall, until they reached the room of the arranged date, where Smokey was waiting patiently.

"Ready?" Lana asked. "I hope it is a tasty meal."

"I took care of that," he said politely.

The half-Gargess gave him a wide smile, laying one arm around Ruth's shoulder. "Good. I hope you two have fun!"

Surprised, the two looked at her.

"What?"

Lana grinned even more at Ruth's surprise. "You two clearly feel something for each other. Everyone sees that." she explained. "So why not give you two a hour just for yourselves?"

After a moment of stunned silence, the black-skinned Gargoyle spoke. "Thank you," Smokey told her, looking at Ruth with a slight smile, which reddened her cheeks.

"The elders..."

"Leave them to me," Lana explained to a worried Ruth. "Have fun!"

The last words were added with a devious smile.

 **20.09.98; 20:46;** **Castle Wyvern, The Rookery:**

Depressed, silent and unsure hatchlings sat in a semi circle around the room.

"This is so unfair!" Jarred complained.

"He should have listened," April agreed. "It was just a little fun."

"Our former leader wouldn't have minded," Eve said, staring at the ceiling and remembering Demona's leadership particularly well. "If she was still in the clan, she would have even taught us more."

"But she said we shouldn't do magic without her knowledge, too," Connor reminded his sister.

Suddenly, the large door opened, and Darlene stepped in with Gem in her arms.

"Mum!"

Darlene showed her son to be silent until she closed the door behind her.

"I heard what happened by the rest of the clan," she said while coming nearer. "Now I want to hear from you."

"We did magic," Eve began.

"Just an illusion-spell," Jarred added. "Nothing dangerous."

Darlene nodded, releasing Gem who instantly rushed to the toys.

"Now tell me where you let the book?" she said. "And don't give me that look. I know your grandmother left it to you."

Jarred grinned sheepishly. "I kicked it under the bed."

"Lana's room?"

The hatchlings nodded, and Darlene sighed.

"Well, I have to see what to make out of it," she said, looking at her daughter who had begun playing with the toys. "Keep an eye on your little sister, will you?"

"Could you get us out of here?" Jarred asked.

Darlene shook her head, as she walked to the door. "Don't count on it."

 **20.09.98; 21:09; Castle Wyvern, Training room:**

Deborah touched the hybrid's claws, directing her to hold the broadsword in the demanded way.

"This way and all the time. Attack from above."

Delilah nodded, as Deborah stepped aside.

"Go!"

The hybrid staged a few swings from above, holding midway at her waist before beginning again.

Suddenly, Deborah threw the blade of her own broadsword in the way of the descending other blade, causing the hybrid to lose hold of it, sending it swinging to the wall of the room, its clang being the only sound in the silence.

"I'm not here to play."

Delilah winced under the scowl of her teacher.

"I'm sorry."

"No excuses."

Deborah grabbed the sword and handed it back to the hybrid, her unforgiving eyes staring into the younger females.

"If you want to learn to be useful to us in the fight, start by taking it seriously."

"I will."

"Again."

 **20.09.98; 21:12; Castle Wyvern, Great Hall:**

Lana had seated by the table near Mary, her mate and the tailor, grinning widely.

"Hi, everyone!"

"I thought you had a date?" the tailor asked, surprised.

"I delegated it."

This earned her surprised looks from everyone sitting at the table.

"Our sister?" Mary asked.

"Yes," Lana said with an even wider grin, guessing they meant the same red-haired Gargess. "She and Smokey earned this."

"Smokey?" Mary's mate asked, perplexed.

"Sorry. Just a name I gave him to remember him better by," Lana said, sitting down. "I hope they get the time together they deserve."

" _Who will?! And why aren't you at your date?!"_ the voice demanded to know from behind her back.

As Lana turned, she saw Agamemnon's mate who had berated her formerly. She gulped and answered, "Ruth and...my friend, the one who lost his lung."

The elder looked at her for a moment, and then sighed. "You did well, lass."

"What?!" Lana asked, astonished, having expected a lecture.

"His heart beats for her, this is for sure," the elder with pale-blonde hair explained with a smile, which made her years younger. "I know the first time of love, lass. If this gives them the chance to explore it, then this is much more important than teaching you."

The elder left with a chuckle at Lana's surprised look.

Some tables away, Darlene approached the one on which Desdemona was sitting on.

"Sister, I was worried," the orange hued Gargess asked.

Darlene smiled absent-mindedly while heading to Goliath's table. "I was just thinking about something," she said, walking past the surprised Desdemona.

She arrived at the table, where besides Goliath, Elisa and Hudson was also dining, before placing a book straight before Goliath.

"The hatchlings used this book to do the magic."

Suddenly, a wave of silence spread throughout the room, as the meaning of these words quickly spread.

"Where did you find it?" Goliath asked while examining the book.

"Jarred dropped it, and no one asked him after it," Darlene explained. "But that's not important. I want you, all of you, to hear my suggestion."

The silence was now thick.

"I'm listening."

"I know you have had bad experiences with magic, especially with my mother and my daughter using it, but also you have learned how helpful the same magics, such as the Phoenix Gate, can be."

Darlene looked around the room.

"I want you to see magic as every other natural thing the clan uses. Its good and its bad," she continued. "But like the weapons you use, it must be taught, and can't be done by hatchlings who haven't been properly trained."

The expectation thickened, and Goliath looked on her with curiosity.

"That is why I suggest, after my pregnancy and the hatchlings' tests are over, that you let me teach the clan members who have a potential in using magic, and are willing to learn it."

Chatter arose amongst the gathered clan, and after some seconds so did Goliath.

"Our sister has made a valid suggestion," he noted. "I propose we talk about this and make our decision by the midnight meal."

With this, the clan became silent again, and just in time as Broadway and some of the ones on kitchen duty brought in the breakfast.

Darlene looked relieved, and noticed Goliath giving her a slight nod.

 **20.09.98; 22:01; Castle Wyvern, some floor:**

Lana walked through the now well-known walls of the castle, steeling herself for what was about to come. She had hoped to get a break after she had escaped her date with Smokey, but his brother with green skin, black hair and extreme long shoulder and knee spikes, who she had named Queens, had taken the opportunity and decided to have his date tonight.

~ Better to have it finished now than wait for it. ~

Darlene's daughter opened the door and was surprised.

The room wasn't decorated, as it had been with Edward, and casting a look at the table there was no reason to fear the meal containing anything's head as it had been with Finn. Instead, Lana found Queens standing at the serving cart, smiling at her.

"Welcome. Since you had some training tonight, I figured you would prefer a lighter meal."

Lana smiled, tying not to think of the stressing training with Deborah.

"Good idea."

They took their seats, and Lana inspected the meal placed on the table.

"Cheddar? How'd you know I like this?"

"A little secret."

"It was Jarred, wasn't it?" Lana noticed, more to herself. "The little rat sold me out."

"For some sweet from the kitchen. Don't be too hard on him."

Lana shook her head, as the Cheddar was just too tasty.

"I think it is strange, the way you are close to him. I never had a close relationship with the younger generations."

"Hmm, I think if you grow up with 30 younger siblings, it gets hard to be close to _all_ of them."

"Maybe, but do you really need to be close to one of the other generation?"

"Well, if you have your own family, don't you want to be close to them?"

"We are clan, this is family."

"Yes, but if you were a father, wouldn't you want to be close to your child?"

"I would be father to all hatchlings hatched."

Lana didn't take this well.

"Most of them are cared for by just a few women now!"

"This is because they need the milk, and their rookery fathers will come in to help when they take more solid food later."

"This is enough for you?"

"Why not?" Queens asked. "I know humans want more, but..."

"I'm human!" Lana insisted, adding a bit calmer. "At least if I had a choice."

Silence remained, as they took some bread until Lana found herself forced to say something.

"So what have you planned for your life?"

"Planned?"

"You know, a career."

"It would be great to be Second, but with my brother having this position I don't see a chance for the next ten years or so."

"Mhh, I mean with you trying to become part of the town. What about a job?"

"We defend the city."

"But you don't get money for it."

Queens looked shocked having heard that, so Lana hurried to ask. "So it would be enough for you to just go out there every night for nothing?"

"If we were part of the city, sure!" Queens replied. "But it doesn't look that way now."

"Mhhh..." Lana commented.

"I think, if it were possible, I would return to Wyvern... I mean, having just ourselves to look after and hunting, just like the clan did in the generations before the humans came."

Lana pictured herself living the life of the middle ages and shuddered. "No boutiques or music videos? No way!"

Queens scowled.

 **20.09.98; 22:37; Destine Mansion,**

 **The Secret Cellar:**

Demona starred on the bowl resting on the fire with concentration, seeing the small clouds emitting from it and murmuring.

"What are you doing down there?"

Demona ignored the voice of her brother coming from above, as the growls of Shade denied him entry, and instead concentrated on the task before her, giving a short look on the frame standing in the shadow.

"Heal the broken," she intoned, grabbing the bowl with a pair of tongs. "Be complete once more."

With these words she threw the contents of the bowl, a glowing red mass, in the middle of the frame where it miraculously stuck in the air as if held by some invisible force. The red mass then began to move, stretching itself until it covered the whole middle of the frame, while still glowing red.

A flash of light made Demona turn away, and when she looked at the place again her own image greeted her.

Titania's mirror was whole once more.

Wasting no time, Demona grabbed a dagger and made a slit in her palm, wiping the blood on the mirror.

"Show me my blood..." she ordered. "Show me where..."

The mirror whirled, its clear surface turning into mist, where slowly faces appeared.

Angela around the new hatchlings, including Jaheira, as well as four older ones consisting of Jarred, Eve, Connor and April in the rookery, playing with Gem. Darlene who laughed at one of Thersities' jokes, Ruth and Lana sweeping the floor of the Great Hall, and then...

Then the image changed to a scene of a large hall in the shadows, wavering back and forth. Demona recognised it belonging to the docks. Suddenly, the perspective moved forward, the walls becoming dust as the innards of the building appeared, showing Lucifia speaking in front of a large group of her followers.

"...comes the time nearer when blood will spill and the darkness will rise out of this blood. You know the sign, so be prepared to..."

Lucifia stopped, her black eyes looking around the room, causing Demona to end the magic with a gesture of her claw.

The immortal stopped, her face being stonier than usual, as she quickly grabbed the scroll and her laser gun lying on the table, pacing upwards.

She passed Shade who still held Roland at bay.

"Hey, where are you..."

"Mind you own business!" she ordered him, turning to Shade. "You stay here and guard the house."

With this, Demona raced up the stairs, only to pick up her mace on the way.

She was going for battle.

 **20.09.98; 22:56; Castle Wyvern,**

 **Training Room:**

Training progressed mercilessly for the young hybrid. Hour by hour she had now passed through basic claw-to-claw fighting moves and sword training, which had now drained her strength while Deborah showed no sign of her attacks slowing.

 **[Klang!]**

"Quicker!" Deborah ordered, attacking her lower half.

Delilah grunted, as she blocked the attack like the teacher had showed her, the sword becoming increasingly heavier with every try.

 **[Klang!]**

The next attack broke Delilah's hold of the sword, causing it to fly out of her shaking claws and landing in the corner with a shattering.

Deborah held the sword close to the young one's throat. "You would be dead now."

Delilah could do nothing else but nod breathlessly.

The teacher wanted to say more, but then Angela, Lana and Ruth entered for the beginning of their training lessons. She gave the three young Gargesses a searching look, stopping a moment by Ruth, before turning to Delilah and handing her her sword.

"Take this and yours to the armoury, and bring me five sticks."

Delilah nodded; feeling better already as she noticed the smile Angela gave her. This feeling didn't last, as even while she was just walking she felt every muscle pain.

When she returned, she handed the sticks to Deborah, and watched as she threw them at the other Gargesses, each of them catching it, except for Ruth who fell backwards, as the stick collided with her, causing her to look at her teacher dumbfounded.

"Did you expect an invitation to battle?" Deborah asked. "Concentrate!"

The gargess rose to her feet-claws, showing a serious look.

"Now! I want you three to form a circle around Delilah... A bit more distance. Stay!" she ordered. "Now you will attack, and you will try your best to not get touched. Go!"

The young Gargesses looked at each other in surprise, and more than a bit unsure. Ruth's face then became grim, and she made the first move, aiming at Delilah's side and getting easily blocked by the hybrid, as she had just learned that move.

Reluctantly, Angela made the next move, attacking her sister from behind, which the hybrid could side-step.

"Quicker, by the dragon!" Deborah ordered, frustrated.

Lana took the initiative, making a quick attack at the stomach, which she found blocked by a heavy breathing hybrid.

~ She looks as if she's ran 5 miles, ~ she thought. ~ Maybe she did? ~

Not hesitating a second, Ruth knelt down and let the stick swing, hitting Delilah hard by the ankle and making her fall hard on the ground.

"Not bad at least!" Deborah commented. "And I mean you alone."

Lana looked at her friend, noticing to her surprise a grim look on Ruth's face as she watched Delilah rise.

"Attacking in groups of two is an advantage, but everything up to three needs coordination or you have a disadvantage." Deborah summarized. "I'll be the attacked now. Delilah, you join them."

With this she stepped into the now empty circle, the three gargess taking a second to adjust...but only a second, as she at once began attacking Lana with forceful blows, forcing her to move backwards. The other three young gargoyles tried to follow and stop the teacher, but their uncoordinated attacks got in each other's way, and they stood too tight to make no more than poking attacks, which were easily blocked even from behind the experienced warrior.

The fight ended with the top of the stick at Lana's throat.

"Stop selling your life so cheap." she told her. "You will be in the middle now."

"Fantastic." Lana commented.

 **20.09.98; 23:27; Canal Street:**

Demona landed on the roof on the other side of the building that she recognized as the one shown to her in the mirror. It was dark and seemed abandoned, despite the crowd it had inhabited just a few minutes before.

The immortal wouldn't bet a dollar that it really was empty, and silently, as centuries of lurking had taught her, glided over the distance of the street and landed soundlessly as a raven on the ceiling. She came as far as drawing her medium-sized laser-gun from behind, when the window in the middle of the roof shattered, as Lucifia exploded into the night, rising some metres in the air.

Demona had no time to aim, as the glass threatened her eyes, and so she made a quick jump to the right, as Lucifia sank an angel sword in the ground where her mother had just stood.

Quickly she shot her laser-gun at full force, causing Lucifia and her sword to crash on the edge of the roof, only to be stopped by a small fence.

Wasting no time, Demona removed the scroll from her belt, beginning to intone the spell.

"Release what is bound. Bind what has possessed. Spirit of the wild, I implore you!"

Lucifia rose, shaking her head to cast away the fogginess, smiling darkly at her mother who repeated the spell.

"Release what is bound. Bind what has possessed. Spirit of the wild, I implore you!"

"Magic has no effect on me, mother, no matter how strong!"

Lucifia picked up the sword again, while her mother tried the spell a third time.

"You can't change thus," she explained, "But don't mind me if I try, too."

Lucifia had taken up the angel-sword, and was about to attack her mother, when she stumbled forward, collapsing on her knees, revealing a sword stuck between her wings. Instantly, Roland landed beside his sister.

"Let's finish her!"

"No."

Roland stared at her.

"Look."

Unbelieving, the former bandit lord looked at Lucifia, who in return looked at him with black eyes, watching how she grabbed the handle of the sword from behind, pulling it out of her body, all the time smiling.

"Run!" Demona ordered, jumping on the edge.

Roland continued to look unbelieving at the black eyed female who had just risen to her feet-claws, when he felt his sister's claws on his shoulder, dragging him over the edge, making him follow her.

 **20.09.98; 00:26; Castle Wyvern,**

 **Great Hall:**

The meal had been fantastic, though Darlene had little opportunity to eat enough since she had to stop Gem from climbing on the table from her lap and trying to get more food in her mouth than on her bib. Even more, many clan members who were eager to learn details about the magic she wanted to teach their children besieged her.

Delilah had originally wanted to talk with her sister, but didn't get the opportunity, and with everyone else she knew on other tables, she was left with nothing more than to listen to the talks about energy and temptation she couldn't relate to, as much as she tried.

Then came the time when something changed, and the middle of the room was cleared but for a table with two bowls containing black and white stones.

Goliath stepped in front of the table, his eyes solemn and earnest, as he watched his clan.

"Tonight, we as clan have an important decision to make. Magic has so far played an important role for this clan, good and bad. I know every one of you has made their decision carefully, so throw a white stone into the basket if you decide to take Darlene's offer, or a black if you are against it."

Delilah watched with interest, as her sister rose and walked to the baskets to vote, as he had explained. There seemed to be some similarities to the way humans voted, as Maggie had once explained to her, but the hybrid didn't think it was the same.

She would have liked to take a closer look, but the way most of the clan looked at her; she found it better just to sit there.

"Bored about not able to vote?"

Delilah turned around, noticing to her surprise a female hatchling with pink skin, black hair and strong eyes-ridges... Victoria, as she remembered her name, looked at her.

"I'm not clan," she noted, still surprised by the topic. "I'm not allowed to."

"I'm clan, so I should be allowed to," the hatchling replied. "But the elders don't want us to be around when they discuss..."

"Daughter!"

A red-skinned male, who stood amongst his rookery siblings, looked hard and somewhat alarmed at the scene.

"Oh yeah, we're not supposed to go near you." Victoria remembered, noting more to herself. "Sorry."

With this she left, leaving Delilah to notice that there were now a lot of eyes looking at her in open mistrust, and some more than willing to step in should she make a suspicious move.

Feeling she could not take the looks and whispers anymore, she fled outside.

 **20.09.98; 00:34; Castle Wyvern:**

Lana looked at her three admirers. Finn, Edward and Queens who had gathered at her invitation, and were now looking at her with expectation.

"Well, before we talk about why I called you here," Lana began. "What do you think about my mom training you guys in magic?"

"She made a point." Edward commented.

"Our brother has used the Phoenix Gate a thousand times, so why not?" Queens added.

"As long as Demona has no place in this." Finn noted

"Yeah, well," Lana began. "Let's talk about between you and me. Let's say what impression you made."

She looked to Finn. "You. Your meal was...shocking. Yet, it would have been nice if you had thought a bit further than just serving me the right food, despite you having killed it... I mean they have butchers here in New York, you know. But you just didn't want to talk to me about anything except yourself. I have a life, too, you know?"

"You." she pointed at Edward. "Nice decoration and nice meal, but same mistake... I mean, guys, you should try to at least pretend you are interested in who the one you are after is. Being transported 1000 years is cool, but other people live lives, too, you know?"

"You," she pointed at Queens, "did listen. But I guess we learned we don't have much in common."

The Gargoyle just nodded.

"Guys, though I think we might become friends...someday. I think you have to see that there is no chance for us to get romantically involved. I hope you respect that, and one day I hope you find the girl you really belong to."

Queens sighed.

"I hope so."

 **20.09.98; 01:03; Destine Mansion,**

 **Living Room:**

"So you had planned to save her." Roland inquired, as his sister placed the mace on the wall.

Demona growled, showing she had no intention to discuss this.

"My dear sister has a heart."

"Mind your own business," the immortal replied

"Fine, but tell me the next time when you go after her, and I will..."

The sound of footsteps made his head turn around, and for a moment he believed Lucifia was coming after them, as a shadowy shape emerged at the stairs.

"What happened?" Demona asked suspiciously, recognising Delilah at once. "Weren't you supposed to stay longer?"

"I...I left," the hybrid stuttered, and under the surprised looks of the others, she walked to her room.

 **To Be Continued...**


End file.
